Start by contacting us. We’ll ask you about your business and your aspirations. Our experienced team of specialists are passionate about growing manufacturing businesses. Depending on your subsector or particular needs, you’ll be matched with the most appropriate Advisor, who’ll help you to identify the most effective route to increased productivity, profitability, increasing sales and accessing new markets - domestic and internationally.

Culture is the invisible thing holding your organisation together. It’s the set of values, beliefs and behaviours that shape the way your business operates at every level. A good culture is the key to manufacturing excellence, and the key to a good culture is good leadership. We tend to undervalue leadership skills so much in manufacturing that many businesses assume the only way to improve productivity is to throw money at better kit and new technology. But, more often than not, the best way to increase productivity is to focus on how you manage and lead people. 
Learn more here.

There are two sides to this challenge. Firstly, you need to reduce the risk of critical knowledge and skills disappearing if people leave; to do this requires mapping out and understanding exactly what you have at your disposal, and putting systems in place to ensure you aren’t overly reliant on specific individuals. Secondly, you need to prevent people from feeling like they want to leave in the first place. The most obvious solution is to offer a good salary, but a lack of appreciation and engagement (perceived or otherwise) can be a much more serious problem. 
Learn more here: How to stop the manufacturing ‘brain drain’.

• There are several things to start with when implementing an SOP in the production process.
• The SOP should define the task to be performed, who the SOP is for, and where and how it will be used.
• Use the knowledge of the staff across the company’s functions to optimise the work to be done, taking on board Lean Principles. 
• Include a List of Components / Tools required to complete the task.
• Provide written instructions, using plain English and include photographs and/or graphics - a picture is worth a thousand words! These instructions must provide a step-by-step series of operating instructions that can show employees what they need to do to accomplish a given task.
• The SOP should have a unique identifier / issue number.
    
  Learn more here: How to be more productive in business

Before entering the exciting, and often daunting, world of digital technology and automation, manufacturers should first focus on embedding the principles of manufacturing excellence into their business. Without putting this groundwork in place, the results can be disastrous.
Learn more here: Digitalisation can be a gamechanger, but not without manufacturing excellence.